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Tuesday, 13 July 2004
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Annan calls for leadership in the battle against AIDS

UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan has defended his comments that the spiraling AIDS epidemic is creating a strain on Asia.
Speaking to the BBC Tuesday, Mr. Annan denies he's scare-mongering over the threat of HIV/AIDS to Asia. He says the threat is very real.

"And of course it's not only those who are infected that you need to care for but it becomes also a real burden and a sustained drain on the resources ad the economy. And we have seen situations where countries have lost their best people in their prime ready to contribute and they had a chance there to contain it and not repeat the experience of Africa.

Mr. Annan called for leadership from the United States and the developed world in the battle against AIDS.
He says he's frustrated that the fight against terrorism has overshadowed all efforts to deal with the epidemic.

AIDS robbing 15 million children of parents: UNICEF

The AIDS epidemic has robbed 15 million children of one or both parents and reversed a trend toward fewer orphans driven by better health and nutrition.
That according to a new report by the UN children's agency (UNICEF).
The report says with HIV infection rates rising and the incurable disease taking 10 years to kill without treatment, an estimated 18 million children will have lost at least one parent by 2010.
UNICEF's Executive Director describes the impact of the eidemic "as a tidal wave of children who have lost one or more of their parents."

Impact of conflict affecting Israelis and Palestinians alike: Roed-Larsen

Unless both Israel and the Palestinian Authority take immediate action to halt the bloodshed and resolve their differences at the negotiating table, more Palestinians and Israelis will get killed.
The warning comes from the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Terje Roed-Larsen.
In a wide-ranging statement to the Security Council, Mr. Roed-Larsen says the impact of the conflict on the population goes beyond deaths and injuries. He says the violence also affects the economies on both sides and the living conditions of Israelis and Palestinians alike, spreading the misery further and deeper.
Mr. Roed -Larsen feels there is hope if the parties seize the opportunity and revive the peace process.

"When we fail, people get killed. We therefore have only two options ahead of us; either we act, all the time, patently and tirelessly, trying to find a way out of this conflict. Or we sit and watch as more people die"

Mr. Roed-Larsen says despite the suffering, bloodshed and misery, a majority of both Palestinians and Israelis still have faith in the possibility of reconciliation and peace.

Logistical problems, shortage of resources stymie plans to pre-position food during Darfur rainy season

In Sudan, conditions in western Darfur are such that many of the aid workers are themselves falling sick.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), reports logistical problems as well as a shortage of resources and staff have prevented the World Food Programme from pre-positioning any food in the rainy season as planned.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency opened its ninth camp in Chad for Sudanese refugees fleeing Darfur.
The agency says more than 123-thousand refugees are now in nine camps in Chad.

UNHCR welcomes Italian decision to allow Africans to disembark

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR), has praised the decision of Italy to allow more than 35 people on a boat to disembark.
UNHCR says while the legal questions surrounding the issue of which state is responsible are extremely complicated, the Italians have put humanitarian considerations to the forefront rather than continue with the impasse that has developed over the past ten days.
Spokesman Rupert Colville says it is not yet clear whether the rescued people are from Sudan or, Ghana and Nigeria.

"The Italian authorities are currently carrying out the preliminary identification process, so hopefully, this aspect at least will come a bit clearer in the coming days."

UNHCR says now the people are on shore, it will be easier to deal with asylum issues.

Annan praises Thailand's efforts at achieving Millennium Development Goals

Thailand has been praised as "a source of inspiration" for the strides it has made in reaching its development goals.
In a statement marking the presentation to the UN of Thailand's Millennium Development Goals (MDG) report, Secretary-general Kofi Annan congratulated the Southeast Asian country for "reaching most, if not all, MDG targets well ahead of schedule."